English Syntax

Question 1

Determine the lexical category of each of the underlined words in the sentences below. Use the morphological, semantic and syntactic criteria to provide evidence for your answers.

 

 

 

1.   His second book came out this year.

 

1.1 Lexical Category: Noun

 

 

 

Morphological criteria: The word ‘book’ is a free morpheme and further divided in the subgroup open class lexical category of nouns. Therefore, it has meaning as a standalone word and is indivisible without losing its meaning. The form in which is appears is singular without the inflection -‘s’ which would indicate its plural form.

 

 

Semantic: The word ‘book’ is a noun because it names a thing. It is also a common noun  because  it  names  a  general  thing  further  categorised  as  a  concrete  noun because it is not abstract and can be touched, smelled and even tasted. For instances

‘’I can read her like an open book’’-connotation.

 

 

 

Syntactic criteria: The word ‘book’ serves as the head of the Noun Phrase and it has a preceding adjective.

 

 

His second book came out this year

 

1.2 Lexical Category: Noun

 

 

 

Morphological Category: The word ‘year’ is a noun because it has lexical meaning as a  word  belonging  to  the  open  class  free  morpheme.  It  is  uninflected,  therefore, showing neither it plural form or apostrophe to show possession in accordance to the year.

 

 

Semantic criteria: A noun is a person, place, thing or idea. Therefore, the word ‘year’ refers to a specific period of time, namely the place in time as well the thing it is associated to it. ‘’The year goes by fast’’-connotation.

Syntactic criteria: The word ‘year’ is part of the Noun Phrase along with the determiner ‘this’ to adhere to the specific form of noun phrase it is a part of.

 

 

2.   The Beautiful woman in the purple dress.

 

Lexical Category: Adjective

 

 

 

Morphological criteria: The word ‘purple’ is a free morpheme and it is part of the open class lexical category of words because it conveys lexical meaning. It also has no plural form. It is not grammatically correct for anyone to say ‘purple(s)’.

 

 

Semantic: It is an adjective because it says more about the noun that comes after it. The word ‘purple’ is meant to invoke a picture of the woman mentioned earlier in the sentence but describing the ‘dress’ she is wearing. ‘’She is as beautiful as the lillies’’-connotation.

 

 

Syntactic criteria: The word ‘purple’, was placed after the determiner but before the noun in the Adjective Phrase, therefore it is a pre-modifier. It qualifies the noun dress.

 

 

3.   Messi squeezed the ball between the goalkeepers legs into the net

 

Lexical Category: Prepositional

 

 

 

Morphological criteria: The word ‘between’ is free morpheme but part of the functional closed class of words as preposition. Some argue however that it is not clear whether it is part of the open class or closed class of words.

 

 

Semantic criteria: The word ‘between’ implies ingeniously to set amongst this or that.

 

 

Syntactic criteria: The word ‘between’ is a preposition because it precedes an article

 

‘the’ and a proper noun ‘goalkeeper’.

 

Question 2

 

 Determine the phrasal categories of the underlined phrases.

 

I am sure you are terrifically good (a) Noun Phrase. I am certain this is not a bloop. I am accurate that you reign and want to reign in me for my good. I affirm you have a sense of humour and that is funny. Oh Father, teach me thy ways of righteousness (c) Verb Phrase. Let me wait patiently and confidently for my inheritance. Let me surrender to your grand design which you noted in your little book, for all the days of my life. Let me succumb to the pressures  of  sacrifice  and  yield  to  the  sufferings  of  the  present  life.  Knowing,  they  are nothing compared to the glory that awaits my soul. I love your plans, because they are out of this world, just like we are. I'm giggling at your attitude towards me, somehow you knew I would be overwhelmed at life and might just need a better answer then, I am god, too! Subject  to  creation  and  lost  to  humanity,  but  your  eyes  pierce  darkness  and  night  (b) Adjective Phrase like broad day light. Therefore, I was never lost to you. In fact, your plans never fail once we failed you in the beginning. You gave us a chance a chance to repent very quickly before death came (e) Adverbial Phrase. Reconciled to yourself even when we are to blame.  I  love  your  love.  Teach  me  your  choice  of  love  and  I  know  death  will  be  easy. Mortifying my body will be pleasing and crucifying my flesh will be a welcomed necessity. I fear when I don't understand, but you argue faith should be in perpetual motion, and grace, where my abilities end. Your simple and complex. Intricate and humble in all your ways. To go up, I must go down (d) Prepositional Phrase. To gain, I must lose. True to your word and you cannot change for the better, because you are best. I miss you, yet my eyes have never beheld  your  splendid  beauty.  How  funny!  I  just  want  to  say,  gratitude,  because  I  am perplexed at your beauty.